Apparatus for printing addresses or other matter on envelopes, labels, or the like



L. M. BARMAN Sept. '1, 1925.

APPARATUS FOR PRINTING ADDRESSES OR ON ENVELOPES, LABELS,

Filed July 9.

"W E NT OR Lam; I'Zaum ref Patented Sept. 1, 1925.

UNITED STATES PAT NT oer-1c E1.

-L0UIS MAURICE BARMAN, or Lonnon, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR PRINTING ADDRESSES "OR OTHER MATTER on ENVELOPES, LABELS,

on THE LIKE, 7

Application, filed July, 9,-

for ,i'i'jntin addresses. or. other matter onv envelopes, labels or the like.

Machines for this purpose, are mostly of complicated design in:that it has'been. the aim to accomplish the various movements aster as possible by automatic means. For. this. and other reasons, therefore the cost ofa. machine for addressing envelopes or printing other matter from stencil'cards issufiie'ient to prevent a man ina. small, Way of business nature.

Now the object of the present invention is to construct, in as simple a manner as ispracticable, apparatus for printing. address: es on envelopes, or other matter from stencil cards, so thatsuch canbe sold at'approxiniately one, quarter ofthe price atfwhich ex;- isting so called automatic addressing machines are retailed.

The present invention consists in apparatus for printin addresses or other matter on envelopes, labe s or the like comprising in combination aboxor case fitted with a drawer for storing the stencilcards, a track orslideway secured to thetop of the box a. hopper or magazine also secured to thebox a hand operated slide movable in the slideway for acting on the lowermost stencil card, an adjustablegauge for envelopes scoured. to said box or case, and a receptacle at one side of the box or casewhich has secured therein the .major portion ofthe means for eflecting the printing from the-stencil cards.

The invention also has for its object certain=improvementsin mounting and control ofthe, inking rollers. v

The construction and operationlof the apparatus Will be easily understood from the. following descriptiomflreference being;

had to the drawings whereon 2- Fig.1. is aplan View, of theappar'atus.

edges acquiring apparatus of this.

' rocat'ing the slide 9 in the 1923. Seria1No. 550,346. r

F 2. a front View. 7 Y V Fig. 3. is adetail View of the action of'th'e inking mechanism. a

is a side view of the receptacle showing the mounting thereinoftheink ngz 7 device.

According to the "invention, the box or case 1 is The front drawer 2 of a size suflicient to store say the case is secured a thin metal plate formed'with channelled which constitute a 5 for the stencil cards 3;

,At one/end of the Ytra'ckb and secured to the top of the boxbyscrews or like means- 7 are two uprights preferably formed from preferably constructed: of wood. ofthe box-is provided with a one hundred stencil cards 3. To the top of v by screws 4 or like means:

slideway orfti'ack metal having short flanged edges bent 'i'n- \irardly 'and projecting over the channels formed on the track, the said uprights fonn.

or magazine 6 for the stencil} i of the uprights ing the hopper cards. "The base'of zone is extended and is flanged over as at 7 tot'orm a housing or bearing for a lever 8 one end of which;is. secured! to a metal,"

slide 9 which fits. in the slideway or track} the other end of the lever being formed into a finger and'thumb piece 8 :for recipslideway or track.

At apoint near the other end of the fixed track or slideway 5, a slot lO is made in the track as well as in the top of the box or case, and the side ofthe box at this end of the apparatus is provided with a door-f or flap 11 so that a compartment 12'is formed between th'edrawer Qand one side of the'box. SGOlIlBCltO the underside of the top of the-box, in the coinpartment'12 thus n formedgas by bolts, screws or-the like 13 is a casting 14 which-has a lug or bracket 14a which projects upwardly through a slot-15- -formed in the top of thecase,tlie said slot being. inalignment with the slot 10 in the out to receive a shaft 16 to one end of which is-secure'di an operat ngliandle 1 7, the other end having affixed theretoa segmented pressei' roller 18,1118 portion of-thenshaft 16f between the lug orf bracket 14 in a sleeve 19' secured to a lug. 14 Between and-the seg mented roller 18 beingpreferably enclosed the operating handle 17 andlf the lug or} tened surface 33 of rod 33 is bracket 14, there is mounted on said shaft 16 a gear wheel 20 which gears with a further wheel 21 mounted on a shaft 22 supported in'bearings in the casting 14.

The other end of shaft 22 has secured to it a segmented inking roller 23 which projects through slot 10 and makes contact, at will with a metal inking roller 24 carried in arms 25 pivoted at 26 to lugs 14 formed on the casting 14.

On the pivot 26 are mounted a pair of arms 27 between which is freely mounted a felt roller 28 which can be inked by hand.

The metal roller 24 is kept in normal contact with the segmented inking roller 23 by means of a spring or springs 29, and in a similar manner constant contact is ensured between the metal roller 24 and the. felt roller 28 by springs such as 30.

The spindle of the metal roller 24 is projected through its bearing and hole is formed in the rear wall of the box 1 so that a handle 31 can be passed over the end of the spindle. By turning the handle 31 the metal roller '24 is rotated and collects ink from the felt roller 28.

Th arms 25 carrying the metal roller are provided with spurs or projections 32 and the lugs 14 of casting 14 are bored out to receive a rod 33, which can be turned by hand. The said rod has a flattened surface 33 formed on it and is normally in frictional contact with the spurs or projections 32. The arrangement is such that when the flatturned towards the spurs or'projections 32 no pressure is exerted against them and the spring or springs 29 pull the metal roller 24 into engagement with the segmented inking roller 23 (see dotted lines Fig. 2).

l/Vhen however the rod 33 is turned so that the rounded part presses on the spurs 32 the arms 25 carrying the metal roller 24 ar depressed, and contact between the segmented inking roller 23 and the metal roller 24 is interrupted (see Fig. 3). This depression of the arms 25 is also transmitted to the felt roller 28, but by reason of the spring or springs 30 contact between the two rollers 24 and 28 is always maintained.

The inking arrangement above described, is a modified form of the apparatus described, illustrated and claimed in United States Patent No. 1,411,398.

Secured to the top. of the box or case 1 is a gauge 34 for the envelopes, labels, or the like which is adjustable across the track or slideway 5, the said gauge comprising a U shaped rod 34 pivoted in brackets 34 secured to the top of'the' box, the free ends of the rods having adjustably attached thereon a floating bar 34 which is lifted byeach stencil card 3 and rests thereon as each card is pushed by the slide 9 to itsprinting position between these-gmented rollers 18 and 23 and against the front edge of the bar 34 the forward edge of each envelope, label or the like is pushed.

The apparatus is worked as follows A batch of stencil cards 3 are taken from the drawer 2 and are dropped into the hopper or magazine 6. The flap or lid 11 is let down, and ink is applied from a tube, bottle or the like to the felt roller 28. The small handle 31 fitting over the metal roller shaft is now turned so that the ink is distributed over the surface 24, and the said metal roller is afforded contact with the segmented inking roller 23 by turning the'rod to the position shown in dotter lines Fig. 3. r

of the metal roller The reciprocating slide 9 is now moved by A second movement of the slide 9 is now necessary so thatthe second card withdrawn on the forward movement of the slide pushes the first card to its printing position underneath the floating bar 34 and between the parted segmented presser roller 18 and inking roller 23.

At this stage an envelope, label or the like is placed by hand over the slideway 5 with the stencil card 3 therein, so that the foremost edge of the envelope registers against the floating bar 34 of the gauge 34.

The operating handle 17 is now turned which causes the segmented presser roller 18 and inking roller'23 to grip and move the envelope and stencil card 3, and the ink from the roller 23 is forced through the perfora tions of the stencil onto the envelope or label in the well known manner.

When the rollers 18 and'23 part, the slide 9 is again reciprocated and the second stencil card is positioned by the withdrawal of the third.

A second envelope is placed over the said card and movement of the handle 17 causes the second card to push the first card out of the slideway 5 sothat it drops down on to the lowered flap or lid 11.

When all'the cards are used they are returned by hand to the drawer 2 and a second batch is used.

Modifications of the apparatus may be made to suit special conditions, and the position of the drawer 2 and the flap or door 11 of the compartment 12 may be altered.

Moreover, the handle 17 and the handle 31 for causing ink distribution may be removably fitted to their respective shafts.

Having thus-described my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United Statesis as follows In a stencil printing apparatus, a casing, a trackway on said casing, a stencil magazine at one end of said trackway, a slide movable in said trackway for feeding stencils of the gauge 34 i from said magazine along said trackway, an rotatable means operable independently of extension on said magazine, a lever mounted said lever for actuating said printing mech- 10 in said extension and connected to said slide anisrn, and a closure for one end of said casfor operating the same,agauge adjacent said ing movable to an open position to receive 5 trackway for maintaining an envelope in 00- the stencil after the printing operation.

operative relation to a stencil in said track In testimony whereof I have signedmy way, a printing mechanism enclosed Within name to this specification. said casing and to Which said stencil is fed, LOUIS MAURICE BARMAN. 

